Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-11-21
Latin ~ the High school.

10 tine kdltOr OF HE EVENING STAR:
In Saturdays STAR appeared communication
which was for two reasons quite striking-it was
wen and forcibly written but in the second place
the writer Of that article is decidedly ION the
track OF the best thought and experience OF half
century. refer to the article entitled Keekaro'
at the High school," In the structures upon the
rushing" method pursued In that school he may
be right know nothing of that matter. In his
conclusion that such method OF teaching IL dele
ter1ous 10 thorough study and a sound acquisi-
with "Parent" But In his diaIribe against the
practice OF turning English into Latin, and In his
sharp criticism Of the Roman method of pronun-
citation. must take issue with him.
in one part OF sentence he speaks land most
property OF the great advantage to be derived
from the careful study OF sentence OF Cesar: In
the other he says "he translation OF English sen-
fences into Latin is absolutely without benefit
whatever" Now, the leading thinkers and the
this country and in all civilized countries have for
nfty years and more, given their unqualified ap-
proval TO the practice under discussion. They
ing books for use as English-La writer's, by
having English sentences turned into Latin In
their classes, and by making this one OF the Tea
The celebrated DR.. Arnold, OF Rugby-a name
reyerenced the world over by all who love the
pioneer into new and rich nelds of instruction and
scfence-advocated In every way, by precept and
by practice, the method OF which 1 write, saying
again and again that there could be no practice
more conducive to a good understanding of the
Latin language than that OF rendering English
sentences into Latin. Among the advocates Of
may be named Goodwin, of Harvard; Gildersleeve,
OF the Johns Hopkins; Hadley, the lamented
sn the Of fnsgy Peters e ae the
University Of Virginia; Morris, OF the Johns Hop
kins; Huntington, OF the Columbian; Lane, OF Har-
stuart OF Philadelphia; McCabe, OF Virginia; Bing-
ham, OF North Carolina, and so many Others, whose
names are household words either In the entire
mr. af Inaa has .Nffh hair
that the mention OF them would NIL all OF today
STAR Nothing, In my oplnion-an opinion
based upon the experience OF over twelve years In
the elasS-room-can give the student O clearer
idea, better conception, OF the d1fficult con-
struct1ons and the idioms OF Latin than to have
, MN rehder ,i INTO Latin Tin an English SEN sem
thus, in writng the peculiarities become familiar
with them may explain to the student dozen
times the fntricaces OF "the indirect discourse or
OF 'the conditional sentence" but he Is often Sin
teneoris In regard to IT; one carefully composed
English sentence, however, embracing the pecu-
larites OF these subjects and turned by the pupil
into Latin will, with the subsequent explanations
which the sentence itSel naturally calls forth,
place the student further ahead than even ga de-
hberate translation OF a sentence In Cesar" An
other very decided advantage derived from writing
English into Latin Is that the student by doing
will very readily increase his vocabulary and be
far more exact, as the writing will always make
him more familiar with the words and will impress
them upon his mind.
Want or space forbids my writing OF the much
abused system OF pronunciation, or rather my
going into any thorough discussion. While the
English method has some advantages, the Roman
has, In the opinion OF the professors OF Harvard,
the University OF Virginia. and other leading in
situations OF learning, even greater advantages.
The trend OF thought and OF practice for the past
twenty years has been steadily toward the Roman
method A comparison OF the Latin with cOgnate
languages OF It's time Will, / think, convince the
reasonable inquirer that the and O were di,cays
hard; that Cps,r was kaSar nearly, and that the
other features Of the Roman nietho are In accord
ance with the practice OF the Romans two thou
sand years ago.
have not written the above with a view to de-
Tending the High school or its methods. Its ac-
complished Instructors well take or them
selves In argument and debate. I have no con-
necton OF "A character, direct indirect, with any
OF the public schools. But ! would like 10 put
parent and others OF his way OF thinking In the
hight paths. The parent OF Saturdays STAR Is
far too good W ritter TO advocate poor cause
A. p NJ